He was so much better of an athlete than people thought. Back then, he wasn't heavy at all. He was solid as a rock. He was faster than anything. He would hit the ball back to the pitcher on two hops and beat it out at first base. He was incredibly fast. We used to play basketball in the mornings at the YMCA. Kirby was a great basketball player. People think Kirby was overweight when he played, but he was rock-solid.